• Use your favorite barbecue sauce straight from the bottle.
• Try equal parts maple syrup and melted butter, with minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce stirred in.
• Stir freshly grated orange zest and chili powder or Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce into melted butter.
serving & menu ideas
Of course, corn on the cob is always the star of the backyard summer supper. Next time, make the usual picnic dishes, but with a twist: Chipotle Potato Salad and Pan-Asian Slaw and one of the corn on the cob toppings new to you. Corn on the cob is also great in unexpected combinations: Follow Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup with a big platter of corn on the cob with lime.
peas & escarole
This quick side dish is so green and fresh-tasting that it seems the essence of spring, although with a package of frozen green peas, you can make it any time of year. Peas and escarole enhance each other wonderfully because of their contrasting tastes and textures.
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 10 MINUTES
1 10-ounce package of frozen petite sweet peas (2 cups)
1 8-ounce head of escarole
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
generous pinches of salt, black pepper, and sugar
Defrost the peas by placing them in a colander and running hot tap water over them for a minute. Thoroughly rinse the escarole and cut it into fine shreds (about 4 cups).
In a skillet on medium heat, sauté the escarole in the oil or butter for a minute or two, until bright green and wilted. Add the peas, salt, pepper, and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, just until the peas are hot, a minute or two.
serving & menu ideas
So green and sweet, this is the perfect side dish for Flounder with Herbed Lemon Butter. Or serve it with Yellow Rice and Lemon Herb Tofu. It’s a delicious simple meal spooned on Polenta or tossed with a chunky pasta and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
apples two ways
Sautéed on the stovetop or baked in the oven, these cinnamony apples add a sweet note to any meal. If you’re already baking something for dinner, pop some apples into the oven too, and if the oven temperature is hotter or cooler, don’t worry—just adjust the baking time.
sautéed apples
SERVES 2 TO 4
TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES
2 firm tart apples
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Peel, core, and slice or dice the apples.
Melt the butter in a skillet on medium-high heat, add the apples, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the cinnamon and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender. Add a splash of water or juice while the apples are cooking if they stick to the skillet.
baked apples
SERVES 2 TO 4
HANDS-ON TIME: 5 MINUTES
BAKING TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES
2 firm tart apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the apples in half and core them. Place the halves cut-side down in an oiled baking dish. Bake until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
While the apples bake, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. When the apples are done, turn them over and sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
serving & menu ideas
Put some apples in the oven to bake with Roasted Vegetable Curry, Two Potato Gratin, or Green & White Bean Gratin. Or top vanilla ice cream with these apples while they are still hot. Serve leftover apples for breakfast on oatmeal or yogurt.
lemony green beans
A side dish so good you’ll make it again and again. When the main dish is creamy and rich, these beans provide lightness and balance.
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 20 MINUTES
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound green beans
1 lemon
1½ tablespoons olive oil or butter
salt and pepper
In a covered saucepan, bring 3 or 4 inches of water and the salt to a boil. Rinse the green beans and trim the stem ends. When the water boils, add the green beans and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
While the beans are cooking, grate the lemon peel and juice the lemon and set aside. (You’ll need 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice and about 1½ teaspoons of lemon zest.)
When the beans are tender, drain them and return them to the pan. Add the olive oil or butter and the lemon juice and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with the lemon zest.
serving & menu ideas
In late August or early September, when the local farmers’ market reaches its peak, we like to make a vegetables-only meal: Lemony Green Beans, Potatoes with Lemon & Capers, Broccoli Tomato Salad, and Baked Acorn Squash Crescents.
sesame broccoli
A light vinegar and dark sesame oil dressing brightens the flavor of broccoli. The sesame dressing is also delicious on other vegetables, such as bok choy, green beans, carrots, and asparagus.
SERVES 4
TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound)
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cut the broccoli head into florets. Peel the large stems and cut them crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Steam or boil until crisp-tender. Toss the warm broccoli with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
INGREDIENT NOTE Use rice vinegar, white vinegar, or cider vinegar.
serving & menu ideas
Sesame Broccoli is just right with Pineapple Fried Rice with Tofu, Crisp Pan-Fried Scallops, or noodles dressed with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
potatoes with lemon & capers
After you taste these perfectly seasoned potatoes, you’ll never go back to butter-drenched ones.
SERVES 4
TIME: 20 MINUTES
4 or 5 potatoes (about 1¾ pound)
1 lemon
1 tablespoon drained capers, more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. While the water heats, peel or scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups). Add the potatoes to the water, return to a boil, and cook until a knife easily pierces but doesn’t crumble a potato cube, about 5 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, grate the peel of the lemon into a large bowl, taking care to grate just the yellow part and not the white pith, which is bitter. Squeeze the lemon and add 2 tablespoons of the juice to the bowl. Add the capers, chopped if you wish.
Drain the cooked potatoes, add them to the bowl, drizzle on the oil, and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.
serving & menu ideas
Make extra so you’ll have leftovers: a divine side dish the first day, and later a truly delectable potato salad, chilled, with mayonnaise stirred in. Serve on the side of Greek Frittata, Veggie Western Omelet, Flounder with Herbed Lemon Butter, or any dish that needs some potatoes.
marmalade-glazed carrots
Made ahead and warmed up just before serving, these glazed carrots retain their color and flavor beautifully. A splash of lemon juice cuts the sweetness just a bit.
SERVES 4
TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES
3 cups peeled and cut carrots (½-inch slices)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
¼ cup orange marmalade
lemon wedges
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, cook the carrots in the oil for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and water and continue to cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the carrots are crisp-tender. Add the orange marmalade and stir until the carrots are well coated and glistening. Serve with lemon wedges.
serving
& menu ideas
These carrots are a sweet and colorful side next to Lemony Couscous with Chickpeas, Flounder with Herbed Lemon Butter, Warm French Lentil Salad … and almost everything else!
roasted sweet potatoes
Roasting intensifies the natural sugars in sweet potatoes. These sweeter sweet potatoes come out of the oven soft in the center and crisp around the edges.
SERVES 4
HANDS-ON TIME: 10 MINUTES
BAKING TIME: 15 MINUTES
2½ pounds sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into rounds about ½ inch thick. If the potatoes are large, cut them in half lengthwise and then into half-rounds. (You should have 7 or 8 cups.) In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, salt, and a dash of pepper.
Spread the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes. Stir, and return to the oven until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
serving & menu ideas
Delicious with Chipotle Scrambled Eggs or Pine Nut–Crusted Fish. For a colorful meal with interesting contrasts, serve alongside Chipotle Tofu and Corn & Pepper Salad.
baked acorn squash crescents
These crescents are perfect simple supper fare; there’s hardly any prep time involved, and while they bake, you can make the rest of the meal.
SERVES 2 TO 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
sprinkling of nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly butter a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Using a long sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and cut each half crosswise into ½-inch slices. Arrange the squash slices in a single layer in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes, until softened. With a spatula, turn over the squash slices and brush on the melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and with nutmeg or cinnamon if you wish. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
INGREDIENT NOTES In place of brown sugar, you can use maple syrup. Add it to the melted butter.
To safely cut a whole acorn squash in half, place it on a cutting board, finding the best position to avoid rolling. Use a long sharp knife. With both hands on the knife, one grasping the handle and the other flat (fingers straight) on the tip end cushioned with a pot holder or towel, place the center of the blade lengthwise along the middle of the squash. Lean onto the knife, using your body weight for leverage, and cut through the squash, making sure all of your fingers stay above the blade.
serving & menu ideas
Try next to Cranberry Bulghur Pilaf, Sesame Tofu with Spinach, or Moroccan Spiced Fish, to name just a few good pairings.
miso-glazed eggplant
This way of cooking eggplant makes the flesh soft and creamy. The miso glaze sweetens it with a Japanese flair.
SERVES 6
TIME: 40 MINUTES
MARINADE
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
3 small thin eggplants, 5 or 6 inches long (about 1¼ pounds)
GLAZE
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar
¼ cup light miso
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, whole or ground
Preheat the oven to 400°. Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, leaving the stems on. Using a sharp paring knife, score the flesh of each half in a crosshatch pattern, taking care not to puncture the skin. Place cut-side up on an oiled baking pan. Drizzle marinade over the eggplant halves. Cover with foil and bake until tender to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to prepare the glaze, stir the sugar and vinegar into the miso.
When the eggplant halves are tender, remove them from the oven, spread generously with the glaze, and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Return them to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes more. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
serving & menu ideas
Serve Miso-Glazed Eggplant on rice or noodles with Easy Baked Tofu and a spinach salad. For a snack, scoop out the soft interior with a spoon and serve with crackers. To make a meal of it, add Mushroom Miso Soup.
peppercorn citrus marinated feta
Sour citrus and spicy peppercorns are perfect foils for salty feta. (See photo)
SERVES 6
TIME: 10 MINUTES
1 8-ounce block of feta cheese
16 black peppercorns
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin is nice)
Slice the block of feta into ¼-inch slabs and then into wide strips. Place on a plate or in a shallow serving bowl.
Crush the peppercorns. Place them on a cutting board and press down hard on them with a flat-bottomed pan (a pie plate works well), rocking the pan back and forth. You can use a peppermill or already cracked black pepper, but the freshly crushed peppercorns are really nice. Lightly grate the lemon peel and then juice the lemon.
To make the marinade, mix 2 teaspoons of the zest and 2 teaspoons of the juice with the olive oil and the crushed peppercorns. Drizzle the marinade over the feta and toss gently. You can eat the feta right away, but it’s even better when marinated at room temperature for 30 minutes or more.
serving & menu ideas
To tide you over until supper is ready, serve marinated feta with crackers, wedges of toasted pita or bread, and fresh fruit. Marinated feta is a good topping for Pasta with Olives Piquant or fish with Sauce Niçoise. Make a Mediterranean-style summer meal of marinated feta and Sicilian Chickpea Spread with crusty bread and olives and tomato and cucumber slices. And, of course, it’s delicious on tossed green salads, too.
Carrot Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
broccoli tomato salad
This vitamin-rich salad pairs well with an unfussy egg dish, seafood, or cheesy pasta. It can be a very simple salad, or dress it up with extras and make it into a meal on its own.
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 15 MINUTES
12 ounces broccoli crowns
2 tomatoes
⅓ cup olive oil (extra-virgin is nice)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of dried oregano or thyme (optional)
Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets (6 to 7 cups). Cook the broccoli florets, either directly in boiling water or in a steamer basket, until tender. Set aside to cool.
Cut the tomatoes into wedges. (If they aren’t juicy summer tomatoes, sprinkle lightly with salt.) In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and herbs.
In a serving bowl, toss the broccoli and tomatoes with the dressing.
serving & menu ideas
Serve next to Pasta with Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese or Mussels with Sherry & Saffron. Or to make a meal of the salad, pile the broccoli on salad greens, arrange the tomatoes around the edge, and add as many extras as you like: olives, sweet onion rings, grated feta, ricotta salata or Parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Drizzle with the dressing and have fresh bread on the side.
tomatoes & onions with mint
This salad goes with almost any dish. Make it when tomatoes are at their peak.
SERVES 4
TIME: 20 MINUTES
(INCLUDES MAKING VINAIGRETTE AND CUMIN SALT)
Versatile Vinaigrette
Cumin Salt
2 large tomatoes
1 small red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
If you don’t have any on hand, make the Versatile Vinaigrette and the Cumin Salt.
Remove the core from each tomato and cut the tomatoes in half f
rom stem end to blossom end. Cut each half into thin slices and place on individual plates. Peel the onion and cut it in half. Cut into very thin slices and place on top of the tomato slices.
Drizzle Versatile Vinaigrette over each salad and top with a sprinkling of Cumin Salt and chopped mint.
serving & menu ideas
We especially love this dish with Pine Nut–Crusted Fish, Lemon Herb Tofu, and Vietnamese Noodle Salad.
baby greens with pecans & pears
A perfect balance of flavors and textures, this salad is sure to become a favorite first course to enjoy while supper cooks. Replace the pecans with Sweet Spiced Nuts for a special touch.
SERVES 4
TIME: 20 MINUTES
8 cups baby greens or torn romaine or leaf lettuce (about 8 ounces)
Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers Page 13